171. Carnival Memento: 1920 MANILA CARNIVAL POSTER

CARNIVAL POSTERITY. Posters issued by the Philippine Carnival Association are sought after by collectors of Filipiniana and fair & exposition memorabilia.

The 1920 Manila Carnival was truly a special edition of the national fair. For two consecutive years before that, the Carnival had been scrapped as the United States was engaged in a long-winded war with the Central powers. But as the war came to an end with an American victory, the Carnival Association revived the event in 1920, dubbing it as the Victory Carnival and Exposition.

This full-color original poster was just one of the promotional materials printed for the 1920 Carnival by the Philippine Carnival Association. The main visual depicts a pair of revelers, with the man dressed as the Red Devil, the Carnival mascot and his woman companion as a masked Perriot. The Angel of Peace descends upon the Carnival gate, holding an olive wreath. The same illustration appeared in other collateral materials, like the 1920 souvenir program, which also featured the couple on the cover.

This incredibly rare, large poster comes in 3 sections and measures an impressive 25 x 48 inches. It must have been printed by the Bureau of Printing in Manila. Posters such as these were seen all over the city—from train stations, municipal halls and government bureaus.

Used with permission. My thanks to: Mark J. Weinbaum Fine Vintage Posters and Decorative Prints 2211 Broadway, Suite #4E New York, NY 10024 By Appointment www.MJWFinePosters.com

145.A Program Description: THE VICTORY CARNIVAL, part II

Early this fall, work will be begun for the Victory Carnival, which opens on January 31 and continues through February 8.

Hundreds of laborers will construct the big white wall which encloses the City and within its portals scores of buildings, to provide appropriate and artistic housing for amusement attractions and exhibits, will soon rear their towers. Plans for the Carnival City have been entrusted to one of the foremost architects of the Philippine Islands, and in beauty and lavishness of design, no previous Carnival setting will be comparable with it.

As has been the case in other years, the two dominating features of the Carnival City will be the high electric tower and the open air ballroom. Sparkling with thousands of small incandescent globes in all the colors of the rainbow, the lofty tower that stands in the center of the Carnival Plaza, crowned with powerful search-lights that throw their beams far out over the bay and back across the old city of Manila, is a perfect thing of real beauty; while the great auditorium with its perfect floor that will accommodate a thousand couples whirling in the maze of the dance, is one of the most unique as well as most beautiful structures anywhere in the world.

At night, when the lights are lit and the people of Manila with their guests give themselves over to revelry, the streets of the Carnival City become a wonderful kaleidoscope of color and life. Perhaps, nowhere else on the globe will the visitor rub shoulders with such a picturesque and cosmopolitan gathering. The American, the Englishman, the Frenchman, the Spaniard, the Russian, the Hollander, the Turk, the Hindu, the Chinaman, the Japanese, and the Filipino---there they all are, the Orientals in their native gala attire, their smiles speaking the common Carnival language, while bright eyes gleam roguishly through the showers of multicolored confetti that float down from above.

In the vast ballroom we meet them once more, the scene even being more picturesque because of the fancy masquerade costumes of many of the dancers. In its balcony sits the famous Constabulary Band, recognized as one of the leading musical organizations of the world, and to it melodious strains the cosmopolitan throng trips through the measures of the dance till dawn comes to dim the artificial lights of night.

On her dais, high above the floor sits the Queen of the Carnival, chosen from among the fairest of the many fair that the Philippines can boast, and her coronation is marked by the most stupendous spectacle of the nine-day revel.


The whole city of Manila gives itself over to Carnival. The government makes each day during Carnival week a half-holiday. The public busies itself with preparations for those who come from without our gates and the entire stage is set for the banishment of worry and trouble.

Steamship lines running to the Philippines will make available ships which will lie over here for most, if not the entire Carnival week. The hotels, led by the famous Manila Hotel, the most beautiful hostelry in the East, will perfect special arrangements for the accommodation of visitors and nothing will be left undone to make the stay of Manila’s guests a period of unalloyed pleasure.

By way of special attractions, the military and civic parades, including the mammoth Carnival Parade, with which only the Mardi Gras pageant at New Orleans can compare, the Coronation Ball, the Army and Navy Ball and the popular Carnival Ball which will open the week’s festivities, will hold most prominent place. But within the Carnival City, the entire Orient will contribute its mummers, jugglers, its master of magic, its acrobats and its freaks for the entertainment of the subjects of King Mirth. In addition, the United States and Europe will contribute spectacular thrillers, who have proved their success at international fairs during the past year.

This and more Manila offers during Carnival Season. And for it, Dame Nature provides what is most perfect in her weather repertoire. Never a drop of rain falls in those early February days, but the sun, tempered by its long sojourn in the north, gives forth nothing but pleasant warmth during the day, while the nights, delicious in their coolness, are passed all too soon under the diamond-studded tropical sky and the Southern Cross.

Manila invites the world to this celebration of our victory. Her hospitality and all that she has are yours for Carnival Time.

144. A Program Description: THE VICTORY CARNIVAL. part I

(Taken from the official souvenir program of the Victory Carnival and Exposition, Manila, P.I., January 31-February 8, 1920)

Nowhere in the Far East will the signal of the United States and the powers associated with her be as fittingly celebrated as in Manila, “The Pearl of the Orient”.

For eleven seasons, the people of Manila have made herself the playground of the East during the first days of February , when climactic conditions combine to make for perfect days and perfect nights. There has been but one lapse.

During 1918, when preparations for the 1919 Philippine Carnival had to be made, the United States was at war with the Central Powers. For patriotic reasons and in order to enable the Philippines to unite in placing every resource at the disposal of the American government and the various organizations active in war work, the 1919 Carnival was abandoned.

For this reason, the 1920 Carnival becomes the Philippine celebration for the great Victory and in it she invites the world to participate.

For those who have never seen Manila in Carnival time, mere words can conjure up but a faint picture of its attractions and beauties. It is the Mardi Gras of the Orient. It yields not to the Carnival of Venice nor to that of Rome. It is the meeting place of the East and the West. Practically, every nationality on the face of the globe is represented in its revels.

In setting, it is unique: A modern city of alabaster set as a precious jewel in background and medievalism.


On historic Wallace Field, facing the Spanish Luneta of romantic association, the Carnival City looks out upon the shifting blues and greens of Manila Bay, its turrets commanding distant view of the island fortress of Corregidor and the narrow passage through which Admiral Dewey led his squadron to a victory that implanted the Stars and Stripes upon Oriental soil. There it nestles, on its field of emerald green, and across it fall the shadows of old Spanish battlements, the historic walls built by the Castilian conqueror and still standing as a monument to the military genius of the Spain that was three centuries ago.


In 1920, this Carnival City will surpass all of its predecessors in size and splendor, for in addition to the regular Carnival features, there will be housed within it a commercial and industrial exhibit in which the 45 provinces and 920 towns of the archipelago will be directly represented.. But this feature of the great fiesta deserves a special mention apart.

130. Carnival Mementos: COMMEMORATIVE PROGRAMS

Collectors of commemorative items from world fairs and national expositions avidly seek out souvenir programs as these contain valuable information about the conduct of the event, schedule of activities, officers and members of the fair association and listings of major sponsors. Some programs were also profusely illustrated, and came with interesting advertisements as well as old photographs that give readers a glimpse of our past social history.

The Manila Carnivals had such programs, beginning with the 1908 national carnival. The slim volume, entitled “Programa Oficial del Carnaval de Filipinas en Manila, Islas Filipinas” has a listing of the schedules of the activities from 27 Feb. -3 Mar. 1908, including the land parades and the sporting competitions. The program is handsomely illustrated with the fabulous carrozas and floats of the different private companies and government bureaus participating in the first ever carnival of Manila. A lay-out of Wallace Field in Luneta is also featured as a convenient guide to the different booths, playing fields and the Hippodrome.

Subsequent programs were printed in color, such as the 1920 Victory Carnival and Exposition, held from 31 Jan.- 8 Feb., 1920. The souvenir program contained photos of newly-built infrastuctures—schools, bridges, municipal halls—as testaments to the march of progress in the Islands.

Programs also carried advertisements of corporate sponsors (Manila Hotel, Sanitary Steam Laundry, Firestone, Smith Bell & Co., San Miguel Brewery) and now-defunct business establishments like “Estrella del Norte”, “Gonzalo & Sons”, "Bazar Siglo XX" and “La Puerta del Sol”.


The Carnival was also a time to breastbeat, and so, important officials and members of the Manila Carnival Association—mostly government personalities—were featured in full page photos. The major characters of the Carnival—Governor Generals Leonard Wood, Francis Burton Harrison, perennial president Manuel L. Quezon, Sergio Osmeña, Director Arsenio Luz—had regular appearances on commemorative programs.


Later programs were printed on cheaper paper stock. The 1935 program with its signature art deco design was of newsprint, with photographic reprints of the past Carnival Queens, making it a valuable documentary reference of past Carnivals.

Manila Carnival programs are very hard to come by, but a few have survived—recovered from old bauls and musty aparadors, they can either be found for bidding in online auction sites or sold as historical ephemera by antique dealers, great pictorial souvenirs of the most spectacular event ever held in our fair Islands.

38. 1920, Queen of the Occident, VIRGINIA RANDOLPH HARRISON

1920 QUEEN OF THE OCCIDENT. Virginia Harrison, daughter of Gov. Gen. Francis Burton Harrison, reigned alongside Trinidad de Leon, who was named Queen of the Orient.

The 1920 Occidental Queen who shared honors with the Oriental Queen was an obvious choice—she was Virginia Randolph Harrison, daughter of then Philippine Gov. Gen. Francis Burton Harrison with his first wife, the heiress Mary Crocker of San Francisco. Born on 21 Oct. 1901, Virginia had a sister, Barbara, and lived a life of affluence,. The family took residence in a posh address at Fifth Avenue, New York where her parents entertained lavishly.

At age 4, however, her mother tragically died in a car accident in Long Island, New York. It was said that she inherited 2 million dollars from her mother’s fortune, built on their real estate and property business.

YES, VIRGINIA, SHE'S A QUEEN. Official portrait of Virginia Randolph Harrison as Queen of the Occident.

Her selection as queen of the most prestigious event in the country was a form of tribute to her father, who had quite a long tenure as governor of the Philippines (1913-1921) and who was well-loved by Filipinos. After all, he advocated the vision of giving Filipinos expanded roles in running the country. During his term, the number of Americans in Philippine government service was reduced drastically, with more Filipinos taking over their positions.

As an eldest daughter, Virginia acted like a First Lady to his father, joining him as a constant companion in official government and social functions. She also accompanied him in many of his out-of town trips to different parts of the Philippines and regular vacations to Baguio.

WEDDING DAY ANNOUNCEMENT. Newspaper report of the forthcoming engagement of Virginia Harrison and her beau, Capt. Christian Gross.

A year after her reign, she got engaged to Capt. Christian Gross whom she had met earlier in the Philippines. Capt. Gross, a native of Chicago, had been a war hero, with decorations from France, England and the U.S. for bravery during the War. At the time Virginia announced her engagement, Capt. Gross was studying at University of Grenoble, on a French-American scholarship.They were wed in 1922 at Algeciras, Spain, the country where former Gov. Gen Harrison chose to retire. But he would come back to the Philippines to marry for the 5th time—to a Filipina—and would be interred here upon his death, at the Manila North Cemetery.

37. 1920, Queen of the Orient, TRINIDAD ROURA DE LEON

1920 QUEEN OF THE MANILA 'VICTORY' CARNIVAL. Trinidad De Leon y Roura of Bulacan, ta future First Lady of the Philippines and wife to Pres. Manuel Acuna Roxas.

The Manila Carnival started a new decade on a triumphant note, as explained earlier—and for this special Carnival edition, a girl of sterling credentials rightfully reigned as the Queen of the 1920 Victory Carnival. She was Trinidad Roura de Leon, the daughter of the very affluent Senator Ceferino de Leon of San Miguel, Bulacan and Maria Roura, a Catalan mestiza. She would not just reigned as a Queen but would also also become a First Lady of the Land, wife to Pres. Manuel A. Roxas.

THE YOUNG TRINING, as a budding mestiza beauty.

In her time, Trining was considered one of the most gifted young women of Manila society, a combination of beauty, brains and a lively personality. Talented at a young age, Trinidad could recite English and Spanish poems, and could declaim at social events with aplomb. At age 6 though, Trinidad lost her mother and was thus raised by aunts who, nevertheless, showered her with affection. She started school at the Assumption Convent and later became an interna at St. Scholastica.

1920 QUEEN OF THE ORIENT. Trining wore a crown topped with the symbols from the Philippine flag: 3 stars and a sun, inside a triangle.

As a colegiala, she was persuaded to enter the quest for Carnival queenship. For the first time since 1908, two titles—Queen of the Orient and Queen of the Occident—were put at stake. The 16 year old Trinidad won and shared honors with Virginia Harrison, the American winner. In the dual coronation that followed, Trining wore a terno and a flowing collared cape. Her crown was banded tiara, topped with the triangle of the Philippine flag, set with a sun and three stars. Her consort was the handsome Ralph Earnshaw, son of the Manila mayor Tomas Earnshaw.

THE COURT OF VICTORY. Trining's King Consort was Ralph Earnshaw, whose father, Tomas Earnshaw was once the mayor of Manila.

Trining’s court of honor included Amanda Lichauco, Albina Tuason, Teresita Salgado, Felisa Limjap and their escorts Francisco Varona, Francisco Tecson, Alejandro Roces Jr. and Francisco Limjap. Many were certain that the very eligible Ralph would win Trining’s hand—he had pursued her even after the Carnival. But fate intervened when she met an up and coming politico from Capiz, at the house of one of her princesses, less than a year after the national Carnival. But she paid little attention to the young achiever named Manuel Acuña Roxas.

A year later, they met again at a grand ball held on Washington’s Day at the Philippine Columbian. By then, Manuel Roxas was already a Governor of Capiz. The governor danced the night away with Trining and the pair clicked. Pres. Manuel L. Quezon himself, encouraged and supported the match, thus their whirlwind romance was sealed.

The two were married on 14 April 1921 in a private ceremony in a chapel in Sibul Springs, Bulacan—which had been built through the efforts of Trinidad’s mother. The sponsors included Pres. Quezon and her former princess, Teresita Salgado. The newlyweds went home to Capiz in a special coast guard vessel and as when they reached Capiz and rode the streets, people cheered and showered them with flowers. Manuel Roxas would later become a Senate President, and then the first President of the Philippine Republic, a post he assumed from 1946 to his untimely death in 1948.

THE FIRST FAMILY. Trinidad and Manuel A. Roxas, together with their young children, Gerardo ( a future senator, married to Judy Araneta and father of Sen. Mar Roxas) and Ruby Roxas (married to Vicente Roxas).

Trinidad and Manuel had two children, Ruby and Gerardo, a future senator. In fact, Trinidad has the unique honor of having been a daughter of a Senator, wife to a Senator and a mother to a Senator. Today we can add one more title to complete this rare distinction: that of being a grandmother to a Senator--Mar Roxas, Gerardo’s son.

36. 1920, MANILA CARNIVAL

THE 1920 CARNIVAL AUDITORIUM. All the attendant ceremonies of the Carnival were held here, including the royal coronation of the winning Oriental and Occidental Queens.

In 1919, countries were still reeling from the terrible effects of the World War which had ended in 1918. In this time of rebuilding, austerity was the order of the day. But with the looming of a new decade, it was but appropriate to mount a Carnival to celebrate the ‘victory of democracy” in the first world war, however belated. Hence in 1920, the Manila Carnival was also dubbed as the “Victory Carnival and Exposition”.

FLOATS..AND MORE FLOATS. The Victory Carnival of 1920 is known for its record-breaking number of floats that participated in the street parade. Commercial and government bureaus were represented by beautiful car floats like these.

The resumption of the Carnival in 1920 was a cause for jubilation, and that year’s edition was bigger than any ever held before World War I. marked with a record number of floats, the most varied and fabulous in the Carnival’s history.

GAIETY AT THE GATE. A view of the crowd that flocked the gate of the 1920 Manila Carnival.

BEAUTIES ON PARADE. Victory Day was marked by street parades featuring beautiful ladies atop decorated carrozas such as this.